The exclusive guest list for the funeral of Prince Philip of Edinburgh | People | Entertainment

Only 30 people will attend the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, to be held Saturday at St. George’s Chapel, next to Windsor Castle, a smaller number in the current context of severe constraints caused by the pandemic.

The Lord Chamberlain Office, headed by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Vernon (Chief Officer of the Royal Household), headquartered in Buckingham Palace – Queen Elizabeth II’s official London residence – is responsible for the practicalities of the event.

Everything is planned down to the millimeter, from the exact moment the royals must arrive at the chapel to be seated to their subsequent movements.

Following Prince Philip’s death, members of the royal family have pledged to accompany the British monarch at all times in her future official acts, according to tabloid sources. Daily mail.

His eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Charles of England, his wife, Camilla, and the Dukes of Cambridge – Enrique and Catalina – will join the Queen once the two weeks of national mourning are over on April 22.

Elizabeth II is expected to return to work after her husband’s funeral and will oversee the reopening of Parliament next month. The media assures that the monarch will deliver her traditional speech to the deputies on May 11, accompanied by her son Carlos.

Guest list

Buckingham Palace said the Queen faced “very difficult” decisions in selecting the small group to attend the funeral, under COVID-19 rules. There will be only 30 people on a site that can accommodate up to 800 members; the monarch allegedly tried to ensure that all branches of the duke’s family were present.

For the funeral, the Queen drives the funeral procession in a Bentley state to St. George’s Chapel, where the ceremony will take place. It was also revealed that Prince Henry, among other things, will not walk next to William.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, ex-wife of Prince Andrew and mother of Princesses Beatriz and Eugenia, will not be attending.

The Dukes divorced in 1996, but Sarah continues to live with her ex-husband and even has a good relationship with the Queen and the rest of the royal family. The exception was precisely with Prince Philip, who on one occasion found it strange to him that the Dukes of York continued to live together despite their divorce.

Over time, Sarah has been invited to some major royal events, and not others. For example, she was not invited to the wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, nor to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. However, he attended the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.

These are the main guests who will join Queen Elizabeth II at the funeral this Saturday of her late husband, Prince Felipe.

Prince Carlos

Elizabeth II and Philip’s eldest son, the 72-year-old Prince of Wales, heir to the throne, is accompanied by his second wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince Guillermo

The Duke of Cambridge, the eldest son of Charles and the late Princess Diana, is 38 years old and second to the throne. He will be accompanied by his wife Catalina, but their three children – 7-year-old Jorge, 5-year-old Carlota and 2-year-old Luis – were deemed too young to attend.

Prince Henry

William’s younger brother, the 36-year-old Duke of Sussex, returned from California for the first time since his withdrawal from the monarchy a year ago.

During the ceremony, he will scrutinize all signs of possible reconciliation with his brother and father, with whom he acknowledged the tensions in an explosive television interview last month.

His wife Meghan, pregnant with their second child, stayed in the United States because doctors advised against travel.

Princess Ana

The Queen and Prince Philip’s only daughter, Anne, 70, will be accompanied by her husband, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, and their children Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall.

Prince Andrew

The 61-year-old Duke of York retired in 2019 after a disastrous interview to explain his friendship with late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, accused of trafficking in minors.

He will be joined by his daughters Beatrice, 32, and Eugenie, 31. The latter gave birth to her first child in February, which she named Felipe as a middle name in honor of the Duke of Edinburgh.

Prince Edward

The 57-year-old Earl of Wessex is the last of the Queen’s four children. He will go with his wife Sofía, who came to comfort the queen after the death of Felipe, and their two children.

Penelope Knatchbull

Countess Mountbatten was one of Felipe’s closest friends, with whom she shared a passion for equestrian sports. Her husband is the grandson of Count Mountbatten, Felipe’s maternal uncle and Carlos’ mentor, murdered in 1979 by the Irish armed group IRA.

Archie Miller Bakewell

He is one of the few guests not from the royal family, he was Felipe’s private secretary and they maintained a close relationship thereafter.

Felipe’s family

Several members of the German branch of Philip’s family will be present, including Bernhard, Crown Prince of Baden and grandson of his sister Theodora, as well as Donato, head of the Hesse household.

Clergy and chorus

The limit of 30 guests does not include the religious representatives who will be celebrating the ceremony, which will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Anglicans.

A chorus of four singers will perform songs chosen by Felipe himself before they die. (I)